Spotify doesn't have a built-in block feature, but you can hide your activity from specific people
Spotify has no button that says "block this user." What you can do instead is turn off your activity sharing so that person — and everyone else — cannot see what you're listening to. You can also make your profile private so strangers cannot find you by searching. If someone is harassing you through Spotify's messaging or social features, you can report them to Spotify's support team, and they can take action on their end.
The most practical option for most people is to switch your profile to private mode. This stops anyone from seeing your listening history, your playlists, or your followers list unless you approve them first. It takes 30 seconds and works immediately.
Key Takeaways
- Spotify does not offer a direct block feature, but you can make your profile private so specific people cannot see your activity.
- Private mode prevents anyone from finding your profile through search and hides your listening history from all users.
- You can turn off activity sharing for everyone at once, which stops Spotify from showing your friends what you're playing in real time.
- If someone is sending unwanted messages or behaving abusively, report them to Spotify support and they can investigate.
- Making your profile private does not prevent someone from messaging you if they already know your username.
Make your profile private to hide your activity
The fastest way to stop someone from seeing your listening history and playlists is to switch your profile to private. Open Spotify on your phone or computer, go to your profile (the icon in the top right corner), and select "Profile." Look for the option that says "Private account" or "Make profile private" and toggle it on.
Once your profile is private, anyone who tries to search for you by name will not find you in results. People who already follow you will stay on your followers list, but they cannot see your playlists, your listening history, or your saved songs unless you approve them. New people cannot follow you without your permission.
This setting applies to everyone equally — you cannot make your profile private for one person and public for another. If you want to hide your activity from one specific person but keep it visible to friends, you'll need to use the activity sharing toggle instead.
Turn off activity sharing to stop real-time listening updates
Activity sharing is the feature that lets your friends see what song you're playing right now. If you turn it off, nobody will see your listening activity in real time, though they can still see your playlists and profile if your account is public.
On your phone, open Spotify, go to your profile, tap "Settings," scroll down to "Social," and toggle off "Share my listening activity." On a computer, go to your account settings, find the "Social" section, and uncheck the box next to "Share my listening activity." The change takes effect immediately.
Unlike making your profile private, this setting only hides what you're listening to right now — it does not hide your saved playlists or your followers list. Use this option if you want to keep your profile visible but stop one person (or everyone) from seeing your real-time activity.
Report harassment or unwanted contact to Spotify
If someone is sending you repeated unwanted messages, making fake accounts to contact you, or behaving abusively through Spotify's social features, you can report them. Open the conversation or the person's profile, look for a menu icon (three dots or a flag), and select "Report user" or "Report this conversation."
Describe what happened in the report form — include specific messages or dates if you can. Spotify's support team reviews reports and can take action including removing the person's account or restricting their messaging ability. Response times vary, but Spotify typically investigates within a few days.
Reporting does not block the person on your end immediately, so if the harassment is ongoing, also make your profile private or turn off activity sharing while you wait for Spotify to respond.
Unfollow or remove someone from your followers
If you follow someone and want to stop seeing their activity in your feed, you can unfollow them. Go to your "Following" list, find the person, and tap the "Following" button to unfollow. This removes them from your feed but does not prevent them from following you back or seeing your public profile.
If someone is following you and you don't want them to see your activity, remove them from your followers list. Go to your profile, tap "Followers," find the person, tap the menu icon next to their name, and select "Remove follower." They will not be notified, but they can follow you again if they want to.
What happens when you make your profile private
When you switch to private mode, your profile becomes invisible to people who don't already follow you. Anyone searching for your name will not see you in results. Your playlists, listening history, and saved songs are hidden from public view.
People who already follow you stay on your followers list, but they cannot see your activity unless you approve them as friends. If they try to view your profile, they'll see a message saying the account is private and they cannot see the content. You can approve or deny follow requests one at a time.
Private mode does not prevent someone from messaging you if they already know your username — they can still send you a direct message. If you want to block messages from a specific person, report them to Spotify or turn off messaging from non-followers in your privacy settings.
Check your privacy settings on different devices
Spotify's privacy settings sync across devices, so if you make your profile private on your phone, it's private on your computer and any other device where you use Spotify. However, the exact location of these settings varies slightly between the mobile app and the desktop version.
On mobile, go to your profile, tap "Settings," and look under "Social" or "Privacy." On desktop, click your profile icon, select "Account," and find "Privacy" or "Social" in the settings menu. If you use Spotify on a web browser, the settings are in the same place as the desktop app. Check all the devices you use regularly to make sure your settings are consistent.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I block someone on Spotify so they can't message me?
Spotify does not have a direct block feature for messages. If someone is messaging you repeatedly and you don't want contact, report them to Spotify support. In the meantime, you can make your profile private, which prevents new people from finding you, though it does not stop someone who already knows your username from sending a message.
Will someone know if I make my profile private?
No. Making your profile private does not send a notification to anyone. People who already follow you will notice they can no longer see your activity, but Spotify does not tell them why. They may assume you turned off activity sharing rather than made your profile private.
Can I hide my activity from one person but not others?
Not directly. You can either make your profile private (which hides your activity from everyone except approved followers) or turn off activity sharing (which hides your real-time listening from everyone). There is no setting to hide your activity from one specific person while keeping it visible to others.
What if I want to unblock someone later?
Since Spotify has no block feature, there is nothing to unblock. If you made your profile private, you can switch it back to public anytime. If you removed someone from your followers, they can follow you again if your profile is public. If you reported someone, that action is permanent on Spotify's end, but you can still interact with them if you choose to.
Does making my profile private affect my playlists?
Your playlists remain on your account, but they become private when you make your profile private. People cannot see them unless they already follow you and you approve them. If you want to share a specific playlist with someone while keeping your profile private, you can send them a direct link to that playlist, and they can view it even if your profile is private.